Theatre Buford has been performing their show, Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” since this past Valentine’s Day. The performances will be going on through March 1, 2020. After seeing the show this past Saturday, I thought of it to be a rather slow start but it soon picked up delightfully.
The story follows two men who both love women that are interested in men named Earnest, although neither of them is named Earnest. In an effort to win the hands of the women they both love, unbeknownst to the other, they each take up the identity of a man named Earnest that results in a hilarious series of events with confusion, mystery, and laughter. I myself am a theatre student in high school and have performed in plays since the age of four. As much as I love being in productions, it gives me a lot of joy to watch them as well. It pleases me to add this production at the Buford Community Center to my list of favorite shows. The cast was very well selected and each character was distinct in their acting and characterization.
The leading male characters, Mr. Josh Brook (John Worthing) and Mr. Barrett Doyle (Algernon Moncrieff) had an incredible relationship on stage throughout the show that portrayed their complicated friendship to the common audience member with ease. The leading female characters included Ms. Shannon Eubanks (Lady Bracknell), Ms. Julie Skrzypek (Gwendolyn Fairfax), and Ms. Lauren Boyd (Cecily Cardew). Each played their part very well and kept the language of Oscar Wilde clear and understandable throughout the production. The remaining characters, Ms. Joanna Daniel (Ms. Prism), Mr. Kerwin Thompson (Rev. Canon Chasuble, D.D), and Mr. Doyle Reynolds (Lane/Merriman), were very entertaining to watch and their relationship with the other characters on stage created a beautiful and creative ambiance for the entirety of the show.
The overall direction of the show (by Ms. Tess Malis Kincaid) was very well done and the set was equally unique and helped the audience get an accurate representation of the time period, as well as, the setting. My personal favorite technical contributor would have to be the costuming for each person, especially for Lady Bracknell and Algernon Moncrieff. All in all, the story was very well portrayed by the actors in this production and the intricate language of Oscar Wilde was perfectly preserved.
For more information on this production or to purchase tickets, please visit bufordcommunitycenter.com or call 770-904-2740.
— By Anoshka Ramkumar
